26th Annual Meeting and Symposium of the
Desert Tortoise Council, March 16-18, 2001
Abstracts

Six Years of Desert Tortoise Research and the Future Expansion of the National Training Center and Fort Irwin

William (Mickey) Quillman
NTC & Fort Irwin, ATTN: AFZJ-PW-EV, P.O. Box 105097, Ft. Irwin, CA 92310

During the past six years, the National Training Center (NTC) and Fort Irwin have funded several major research projects designed to provide baseline information about the desert tortoise, and its environment in the Mojave Desert. These research programs included the hatchling research headed up by Dr. David Morafka, several research projects on the Upper Respiratory Tract Disease conducted by the University of Florida, and Dr. Berry's Behavior Studies. In addition to current research projects, the NTC and Fort Irwin will be funding Line Distance Sampling in two Desert Wildlife Management Areas.

Congress approved and President Clinton signed the legislation that starts the process for the NTC and Fort Irwin 's proposed Land Expansion. The timetable for the expansion will be discussed, as well as the potential affect on threatened and endangered species.